The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

Published: September 2008 Pages: 349 Sub Genre: Forensic Mystery Thriller For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin Museum. Now its sudden rediscovery by museum staff is both a major coup and an attention-grabbing mystery. Dubbed “Madam X,” the mummy–to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact–seems a ghoulish godsend for the financially struggling institution. But medical examiner Maura Isles soon discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse–horrifying proof that this “centuries-old” relic is instead a modern-day murder victim. - www.tessgerritsen.com Tess Gerritsen knows how to draw the reader in, to set the scene and maintain the tension throughout a novel. Check this out and tell me you wouldn't read on ... He is coming for me. I feel it in my bones. I sniff it in the air, as recognizable as the scent of hot sand and savory spices and the sweat of a hundred men toiling in the sun. I turn and face the evil. Archaeologist Josephine Pulcillo enjoys her work at the Crispin museum but when several preserved bodies are found ... her past returns to haunt her. Medical examiner Maura Isles must decipher the forensic evidence and once again teams up with homicide detective Jane Rizzoli to prevent the Archaeology Killer from collecting any more macabre keepsakes.

I've been fascinated with all things Egypt since primary school so I really enjoyed the archaeological elements of this story and I found the detail given to mummification, preservation techniques and ancient death rituals both fascinating and creepy. Mummies, tsantsa (shrunken heads) and a well preserved bog body make for great bed-time reading lol. Another page-turning read with unexpected plot twists that keep you guessing to the very end from one of my favourite thriller writers. I really did enjoy the delve into the past with this one but I have to confess Tess Gerritsen's early medical thrillers are my absolute all-time favourites. You'll find links to two of these 'scare your pants off' novels at the bottom of this post.

Tess Gerritsen also has a terrific blog which I keep in my faves list. Click on the title to see my reviews of The Surgeon - 5 stars & Harvest - 5 stars

*UK release titled Keeping the Dead This month on The Eclectic Reader you could win Blood Promise by Richelle Mead OR Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost OR The Other Tudors by Philippa Jones. Check this blog post for details. International entrants welcome.